Special high-level meeting of ECOSOC with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

10-11 March 2011, UN Headquarters, New York

Pursuant to ECOSOC resolutions 2010/26 and 2009/30, the overall theme of the meeting was “Coherence, coordination and cooperation on Financing for Development”. The UN Secretary-General addressed the meeting. Following a short opening plenary with brief statements by the President of ECOSOC and the President of the Trade and Development Board, the meeting consisted of informal thematic debates on the following topics:

“Follow-up to the 2010 MDG Summit outcome: building the global partnership for development, including in response to new challenges and emerging issues”;

“The role of the UN system in global economic governance”;

“Financial support for development efforts of Least Developed Countries: development finance, including innovative mechanisms, aid for trade and debt relief”;

"Financial support for development efforts of Middle-Income Countries: development cooperation, trade, capital flows, policy space and reserve system".

The thematic debates on the above topics were held consecutively in an informal plenary setting of the whole, in order to facilitate greater engagement of all participants and to promote an open exchange of views and experiences among all stakeholders, including civil society and the business sector. At the closing of the meeting, the President of ECOSOC made concluding remarks. A summary by the President of ECOSOC was issued as an official document.

Participation

For Member States, Observers and accredited intergovernmental organizations registration
will be open with the Secretary of the Economic and Social Council, following an announcement
in the Journal of the United Nations.

Civil society organization and private sector entities accredited to the FFD process and ECOSOC that wish to participate and are not in possession of a valid grounds pass should contact the Financing for Development office by 4 March at ffdoffice@un.org

Report of the Secretary-General on "External debt sustainability and development" (A/65/155)

Progress report of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group of the General Assembly to follow up on the issues contained in the Outcome of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development (A/64/884)